Tuesday, October 27, 2015

Vince Balsa Surfboards Bali

"Jean Marie Vincent Tierny,
riding a « sculptural » and imposing board entirely made of balsa wood.
After the session, while drinking a coffee, I was able to learn more
about the hectic life of this extraordinary character and I had the
opportunity to try his « cult object », a very successful trial. Indeed,
the board, despite its appearance, is not heavier than a classic
surfboard of foam and fiber, and competes without complexes with the
best longboards that I had the opportunity to ride.

While surfing in a remote corner of the island of Java (Indonesia) the chance was given to me to meet, on the water,
Having already plans to climb of Ijen volcano on the following days, we logically added a visit to his shape workshop, Vince Surf Boards, located in the city of Banyuwangi, at the foot of this mountain.

On this planet, there are less than a dozen official manufacturers of
wooden boards, most of which are far from producing as many as Vince Surf Boards. Few people can claim this level of inventiveness and finishes. This visit was therefore a real privilege.

I therefore suggest the interview with Vincent, who, among other
skills, is an engineer specialized in marine construction and former
lifeguard.
– Blaise: who are you, where are you from?
– Vincent: My name is Vincent Tierny, I’m 55 and coming from the North of France.

– BR: Since when do you live in Indonesia and why did you settle down in Banyuwangi / Java?
– VT: I came for the first time in Indonesia in 1978 as part of a
student exchange, staying one year in a family, and then, concerning my
settlement in Banyuwangi, it was because it reminded me my good old days in Bali ! (laughs).

– BR: What led you to making surfboards and when did you start ?
– VT: About twenty years ago I left the Thompson company and began to
manufacture boats in Indonesia. Following the Asian crisis I
unfortunately got bankrupt and switched to eco-tourism in a natural
reserve in this country. I finally had to decide whether to stay there
for a lifetime or leave to look for a new challenge. I eventually
decided to go to Bali where I began to surf as there were no more fishes
to catch in spearfishing (laughs), having sworn that I’d never make
boats for customers anymore. But I thought I could build wooden surfboards, this I could allow it to myself (laughs), and I started in my garage. The Rip Curl brand saw them and expressed the wish to buy some for their shops. This is how I started in this market about ten years ago.

– BR: Do you only build surfboards?
– VT: Yes, essentially, as well as Stand Up Paddles (SUP). Currently I
am busy building my own catamaran boat to organize future boat trips
for surfers.

– BR: What types of wood are you using and where do you source it?
– VT: I mainly use balsa that we grow ourselves in the area, on the slopes of the Bromo volcano. A tree is usable after 4 or 5 years. It’s very fast and convenient.

– BR: How many people do you employ?
– VT: It fluctuates between 8 and 20 people depending on orders.
Several of our employees work under toll manufacturing contracts.

– BR: Do you consider that you are playing a social role in the area with your business ?
– VT: This is not my first goal, I stopped playing Don Quixote a long
time ago (laughs) but I’m happy to offer my staff a better quality of
life than the Indonesian standard, which also greatly motivates them.

– BR: How many surfboards do you produce per year?
– VT: We’re at about 150 but should be able to produce more because demand is high; it is also the reason for our move in Banyuwangi. We aim to stabilize around 300 pieces a year.

– BR: Are you only working on model series or do you also make « customs » upon request ?
– VT: First we offer them the models in our range, but we can respond to specific requests by manufacturing customized products.

– BR: In what way can you say that your boards are more ecological than others? Are they 100% « natural »?
– VT: Not 100%, the « fundamentalists » will say that there is still
glue and resin, but we believe to have solved the problem at 98%. So
please leave us a little time for the remaining 2% (laughs). They are
environmentally friendly because the material is biodegradable. We do
not use plastic or foam and, above all, they are sustainable. It is not a
disposable product, they are supposed to be transmitted to children and
grandchildren. I even happened to repair balsa boards that where older
than 50 years !

– BR: Where do you export your products?
– VT: Almost everywhere, Japan, New Zealand, Sweden, Europe in
general. We are currently working particularly on the development of
Australian and Japanese markets.

– BR: Tell me a little about the Japanese market, which is usually very specific when it comes to skiing and snowboarding.
– VT: The Japanese are tough but love beautiful things and know how
to recognize them. They are very sensitive to products made of wood and
to details and finishes.

– BR: What’s your favorite model in your range?
– VT: Personally I surf a replica of a shape from Donald Takayama. A longboard 11.2 ! (laughs)
– BR: Thank you Vincent, for having answered my questions during this very informative visit.

Having had subsequently the opportunity to go several times at
Vincent’s, I have also learned that despite the modesty shown in the
above interview, his company is one of the few in the area working on
the introduction of a true social plan for its employees.
Concerning the wood, Vincent is able to control the production of
balsa from A to Z and works in self-sufficiency: he brings small balsa
plants in pots to the farmers in the region of the Bromo volcano for
free and guarantees to buy them 4 or 5 years later when they reach the
size needed to be transformed into surfboards.
Furthermore, the company also produces its own wax (anti slip to
apply on top of surfboards) from a very ingenious and innovative system
and also provides customers with « blanks », the equivalent of a raw
foam block for surfboards of conventional construction, which can

allow them to shape by themselves their own balsa board. Vince Surf Boards
is to my knowledge the only wooden manufacturer worldwide to offer this
extraordinary possibility in various sizes (mini simon-fish-short
board-mini malibu-longboard-etc).
It was a real pleasure to meet Vincent and his staff. What a good feeling to find such a purist craftsman of sliding!!!!"

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2016 Poster

This years Wooden Surfboard Day will be Sunday 7th August

2015 Poster

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The joy of wood and water...

Wooden surfboards have been around for a long time and it was probably on a simple piece of wood that man first enjoyed surfing waves somewhere in the world. It may have only been a crude piece of driftwood found on the beach that served as a way of catching that first wave, but the joy and connection felt with the sea then is no different from what we feel today.As someone who has crafted a surfboard from wood, taken it out and caught a wave on it, I can tell you that the first time you paddle in and get to your feet, is truly a timeless feeling of joy and achievement. I hope that in assembling this list of talented people will inspire you to have a go at building your dream board and also experience that feeling for yourself.